"Go."
It was silent, a whisper, but the tone of the voice was hurt.
"Just….just go. Please."
She wouldn't turn around to face him. He could only see the outline of her slender form through the dim firelight. The light was fading quickly, but she still stood in front of the fireplace, her hands wrapped around her body, like she was hugging herself. She swayed slightly, shifting her weight from her left foot to her right and then back again. It was a slow sway, she moved to a beat only she could hear. The dim light reflected her auburn hair, giving it almost a halo effect.
He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit he'd picked up from spending too much time with her family, undoubtedly.
"But…" he tried to reason with her weakly.
She said his name softly, like a whisper, and his heart stilled. This felt wrong, entirely too wrong. He knew he had made the decision, but this wasn't how things were supposed to happen. She was supposed to be happy for him. He was getting married!
"I know you love her," she said, her voice husky, he knew from experience that she was trying to hold back tears. But why?
"I do." He confirmed. Why else would he ask for her hand in marriage?
She inhaled sharply, her arms tightening around herself.
"I just need time, please." Her voice was soft again and the fact that she wasn't looking at him was driving him up the wall.
"Why?" His curiosity got the best of him.
She shrugged, not offering him any more insight into her mind.
He wiped at the sweat on his brow sadly, knowing that with her stubbornness, it was a lost cause to make her do anything she didn't want to. He turned to leave when she called his name again. He turned around and saw her face for the first time that night, shadows cast over her face so he couldn't see it properly.
She had turned around to look at him, a soft smile on her face. A sad smile.
"I'll find you when I'm ready."
He nodded again and turned to leave but once more her voice stopped him.
"We're friends, real friends. And that means that when I look back, I expect to see you there waiting for me, just like I always do for you."
He knew she was right, but he was more selfish than she was. He was sorely tempted to turn around and demand an explanation from her, to make things right. He just wanted to know what was wrong. Instead he studied the stone wall, gazing at the fine imprints that marked their friendship. Their initials that they had carved into the stone, friends for eternity. Eternity was a very long time, and he wasn't planning on giving it up any time soon.
So he straightened up, nodded once, still facing the wall, squared his shoulders and walked to the door, twisting the handle slowly.
"I'll be waiting," he murmured.
And then he left, to go home into the arms of his fiancé, and she was once again alone in the dim firelight, happy to know that he would be waiting, just like always.
A/N: Apparently, a drabble-ish ficlet thing is the only thing I will be able to write this month. Yuck. Well not yuck, I just originally hoped this would be longer when I began to write it. I'm quite happy with how it turned out though.
Let me know what you think, as always!
~wwccd